The legislation aims to protect children from unsuitable adults

Information-sharing plans, contained within the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill, were criticised by a Holyrood committee last month.

The first minister and the deputy education minister had previously defended the proposals.

Education Minister Hugh Henry has now confirmed the section will be ditched.

MSPs on the education committee had raised concerns about a lack of consultation on proposals to share sensitive information among public bodies.

Legal duties

Groups working with children and vulnerable adults would have had a legal duty to share information about people working with these groups.

Mr Henry said a code of practice on sharing child protection information would still be introduced as part of the bill.

He said: "The withdrawal of part three from the bill will mean that this is a non-statutory code of practice but this does not preclude it being given a statutory underpinning and accompanied by legal duties to share child protection information at what I hope will be the earliest opportunity."

The proposals were triggered by the Bichard Inquiry into the deaths of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.